Payne, Lillith - His Unconventional Woman (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 9

  “Clay, about Gavin, he’s just a friend.”

  “I’ve never heard you mention him before.”

  “I suppose I have in passing. Clay, I saw you stiffen when Jeff played the message. Was that because a man called me?” With her sweetest smile, she looked up at Clay.

  “More torture, Dana?”

  “A little. Were you jealous?”

  Clay stepped back, his hand on his hip, his thumb tucked in his front pocket. He gave Dana a once over look from head to toe. “Well?”

  “Jeez, Dana. A few days ago you told me there wasn’t a man waiting to come take you back. That message…”

  Dana stood her ground, refusing to go to him. “Clay, he’s an old friend. The first photographer I worked with in New York. He and Harry have been a couple for longer than I’ve known them.”

  “Oh.”

  “Oh, that’s all you have to say?”

  “I don’t like being jealous, Dana. It’s a new emotion for me.”

  “One you’re going to try and control?” This time she went to him, slipping her hands along his shoulders.

  “God, help me. I’ll try.”

  “Good, now about the torture part,” Dana kissed his chin and then moved slowly to his neck, trailing small kisses as she went. Clay knew she had him when his body went tight against hers. Backing away, she looked him up and down. “I just might enjoy this.”

  Clay lifted her by the waist, pulling her up to him, eye level.

  “Toying with me, Dana, could be dangerous.”

  “I’ve never been afraid of you, Clay.” Slowly he put her back down on the floor, holding her tight against him.

  “Don’t start now, sweetheart.” This new term of endearment was flowing easily. He’d have to be careful, especially when they weren’t alone. For a time they stood there, locked in each other’s arms. “Any other names I should know about for recognition matters?” he teased.

  “I’ll let you know as we go along.”

  Their kiss took his breath away, took any remote feeling of sanity with it. Molded against him, he craved to touch her the way his body told him to. He knew he had to stop this before it went too far. Stepping back, he turned her back to him. “Clay, there aren’t any other men. Gavin is just an old friend, and I wasn’t joking that you’d fuel his dreams much better than me.”

  “Jeez, Dana.” Her smile was what he had been waiting for. Tension released from his body.

  “One last kiss, then I’m leaving,” he told her. He had his kiss, one that left Dana speechless. This time when he did leave, he didn’t look back.

  It was before eight the next morning when Dana was pounding on Clay’s kitchen door. She heard him holler something from upstairs then sat on the screen porch, glancing at the headlines on his Sunday paper. Hearing the door open beside her, she only glanced toward him.

  “Sleeping in, Clay?” she teased.

  He stepped out onto the porch, stopping any further words she meant to speak. Fresh from the shower, his hair was still damp, a towel slung around his neck, covering a small patch of bare skin on either side of his shoulders. Dana stared at his bare chest, following the path of dark hair that led downward toward his belly, disappearing into a pair of old jeans he had pulled on. The top snap was open.

  Dana realized at that moment he had completely undone her. Never in her life had she experienced this particular wave. It was lust, pure and simple. Does he know how sexy he looks standing there? Her hands ached to touch him, to explore him.

  “What’s up, kid? Do you know what time it is?”

  “Sunday, early, get dressed, I’m taking you out to breakfast.”

  “Are you?” Clay didn’t stop staring.

  “My way of saying thank you for helping me unpack last night.” Wanting to badly, she couldn’t pull her eyes away from his chest. Had she even blinked, she wondered. Standing slowly, she went toward him, watching his face carefully. “Got any coffee made?”

  “Not yet.” Her fingertips ran the length of his stomach. She felt him tense under her touch, liking what it was doing to him. Glancing down, she saw his cock was full and hard under his jeans.

  “I’ll make us a cup while you get dressed.”

  Sliding past him in the doorway, she had to duck under his arm to get past him. Clay stood, rooted to the spot after she had walked inside, deciding all his blood had rushed to his groin, his erection evident. She stayed in the kitchen, running water into the pot. Dana longed to touch him, to tell him to take her inside and make mad, passionate love to her, or at least fuck her brains out.

  When he entered, she was measuring coffee into a filter. With her back to him, she wondered if he was able to appreciate the line of her long legs, the short denim skirt covering little. She had on a pink tee shirt a few shades lighter than the slip she had worn last night. Her hair hung loose. She felt him approaching, closing the distance between them. He turned her around.

  “Don’t bother with the coffee. I’ll be ready in a minute.”

  “Okay.” Dana hoisted herself up onto the kitchen counter, bringing her eye level with Clay. His hands went to the sides of her legs, capturing her where she sat. Dana had wanted him to kiss her, she had thought about it all last night.

  Driving over, the thought of his hands against her skin had given her that same warm, fuzzy glow she was beginning to enjoy. Her hands went around his neck, pulling his face close to hers. His clean scent was driving her to think of things she hadn’t ever let herself wonder about him before. One hand around his neck, the other slowly exploring his bare chest, she closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation against her fingers.

  Clay had hardened again the minute he saw her at the counter. The short skirt helped, but the visual image of her in his kitchen accomplishing such a mundane chore sent shocks of electricity straight to his crotch. When she had hoisted herself up on the counter, he knew he was in trouble. Yet, as her hand ran across his skin, he couldn’t move, wouldn’t pull back.

  Dana pulled him closer, her lips presenting a mere feather of a kiss. Clay wrapped his arms around her, deepening her kiss, taking what she was offering to a new plane. In the back of his mind, he didn’t want to scare her, but couldn’t help himself from pushing forward. Hell, every time he thought about her, at some point he caught the visual of her from years before. On her knees between his legs, her lips locked around his cock. She’d seemed so demure, but so sensual at the same time. He’d never forgotten that image and saw it again now. For an instant, he thought to make a new memory. It would be so easy to run his hand along her waist and up under her shirt to cup and squeeze her braless breasts. With a simple tug, her shirt could be pushed upward, leaving him complete access to her breasts. He still remembered how her raspberry nipples heaved at the touch of his lips.

  She did something to him no other woman had. She reached him on so many levels it was almost overwhelming. Pulling back when he realized his hands had moved under her shirt, he stood quickly.

  “I’ll get dressed.” He turned, leaving her sitting on the counter, slightly mussed from their kisses.

  If he hadn’t gone, he wondered how far she might have let him go. But he didn’t stay. He was relieved and disappointed at the same time. Dana had him in a quandary. Normally, he was intimate with consenting females soon after they met. With Dana, he kept holding back. He was beginning to think she was as frustrated as he was. Showing up dressed the way she was, maybe she was looking for a sexual release and he was too dense to acknowledge it.

  They managed to get a back booth at the diner, allowing them the space to relax with the newspaper while they enjoyed a second cup of coffee, or was it a third? Dana was reading the magazine section. Clay had the financial section folded open before him. Their hands met across the center of the table, holding tightly, occasionally exchanging glances. He knew his were requests for permission to go forward, wanting her full consent before he took her to his bed.

  He decided he would give Dana time, that he�
�d court her, as old Holly would say. That’s what he decided. Just because he had known her all her life, it didn’t mean she didn’t deserve to be dated and courted. In fact, he decided that was exactly what she would experience, a full-out courtship from him.

  Linda Cole spotted them as she entered the diner, their hands intertwined across the table. With instant disgust, she drew a breath and then headed directly toward them. Standing beside their table, she finally had to speak to get their attention.

  “Good morning, Clay.” He looked up, tightening his hold on Dana’s hand.

  “Morning, Linda. How have you been?” He left the paper where it was, left his hand on Dana’s.

  “Morning, Linda.” Dana added. Linda only nodded toward her.

  “I’m so glad I ran into you, it will save me tracking you down during the week.” She glanced at the empty portion of the bench seat next to Clay. “May I?” she asked as she sat beside him, leaving him no other option but to shift to make room for her.

  “What did you need from Clay?” Dana asked sweetly. She, too, had abandoned the article she was reading.

  “Nothing to worry your pretty little head about,” Linda told her, trying to rein her tone of voice to civil. She had to make Clay see her as female and available along with being sexually experienced. They would be a great match. She would be able to help him with his farming and lumber business. They would make the perfect power couple she always dreamed of becoming. From the first time she saw him at a distance, Linda knew he was the man she wanted. And she wouldn’t let this little twit of a model stop her. She held back a groan watching as Clay interlaced his fingers with Dana’s. It should be me with him. Linda decided to treat Dana Britton as a small glitch in her plan, one that would be dealt with one way or another.

  Linda pulled a deep breath and plastered a smile on her face, hoping it would soften her appearance. Right now, getting cranky in front of Clay wouldn’t help her cause. Most of all, she had to remember she had a cause, to get Clay Hollister to marry her, leaving her access to his land, his money, and his body.

  Clay felt Dana’s hand tighten under his, and he held her in place, his thumb running lazy circles against her palm. Having dismissed Dana from the conversation, Linda turned to Clay.

  “You know the retirement party for the Senator is approaching fast. I was hoping I could talk you into helping me with some of the planning. It wouldn’t take much time, although I could use a hand.”

  Dana’s stomach churned as she listened to the voice that dripped from Linda’s mouth. If Clay hadn’t been holding her hand, she might have done something, but his touch kept her centered. He winked, trying to get her to relax.

  “I’m pretty busy these days, Linda. We’ll be finishing the harvest about that time. I’m not sure how much time I could commit to helping.”

  “Well, I’m sure I could find an assignment that will fit in with your schedule.” Her arm went along the back of the booth.

  Dana knew if she hadn’t been sitting there, the chances were good that Linda would be running her fingers through his hair. She drew a deep breath, her eyes narrowing. Linda knew exactly what she was doing. She was testing both Clay and Dana.

  “I’m not sure, Linda. What do you think, Dana?” Deliberately, he chose to look to her, drawing her back into the conversation. He gave her a sly smile, waiting for her to answer.

  Damn. That look is gonna get me in trouble. The thought of it made her blush. Looking directly at him, “It’s a busy time for you, Clay,” she said quietly.

  Clay looked uncomfortable with the whole situation, but Dana decided he was trying to use it to his advantage. If Linda knew he and Dana were together, she might back off.

  “What if you assigned us, Dana and me, something we could work on together as a team? That might work.” Clay offered Linda one of his best smiles. “Would that work for you?” he asked Dana.

  Before she could answer, Linda interrupted. “Actually, it’s just for members of the Chamber of Commerce. I thought I was clear about that.” The edge in her voice had changed, and Dana watched as she tried to reel it back. “It’s not that we wouldn’t love to have Dana’s help, but the rules are the rules.”

  “No problem then,” Dana added sweetly. “I just got my letter of acceptance last week from the Chamber. They seemed very happy…”

  “Why would you join the Chamber? You don’t have a job.”

  Dana watched Clay straighten in his seat. She took a cleansing breath before she spoke. “Really, Linda. I’d of thought you had a better memory than that. My business will be the museum at the Britton Mansion, once the renovation is complete. The Chamber members all seemed quite enthusiastic about my joining and the renovation project.”

  Clay seemed to hold his breath as she reached for her coffee cup with her free hand, probably wondering if she was about to toss it at the woman sitting beside him. Dana watched his breath came out in a slow, jagged exhale when she sipped from the cup then returned it to the saucer. “Once my application passes the permit board, of course.”

  “Let’s leave board business out of this.” Turning back to Clay, Linda continued. “Can I count on you, Clay?” she almost whispered.

  “If Dana agrees, you can assign us something she and I can do as a team.” Dana’s smile and nod were her only answer.

  “I’ll get back to you, then.” Slipping out of the booth, Linda stood, all but glaring down at Dana.

  “Linda, why not get hold of Dana when you need me? She always knows how to reach me.” They watched as a mask came over Linda Cole’s face. Only the nod of her head offered any indication she had heard his last statement. Turning swiftly, she walked directly out of the diner.

  “I guess she decided she wasn’t hungry after all,” Clay teased, bringing up Dana’s hand to his lips, brushing them across her knuckles.

  “Oh, she was hungry all right, just not for what was being served on the menu.” Clay let out a deep laugh, releasing the tension that had built up inside him and apparently Dana as she started to laugh with him.

  “Do you really think she’ll give us an assignment?” Clay asked, the sparkle in his brown eyes catching her heart.

  “Definitely, but I’m sure it won’t be the same one she had in mind for you alone,” Dana added.

  “Let’s get out of here, kid. What do you want to do with the rest of the day?”

  “How about a ride? William hasn’t been out in a few days, you game?”

  Folding the newspaper sections, Clay tossed some bills on the table. Outside, he waited beside the car door for Dana to fold herself into the Corvette. Once she was in, he closed her door and then bent down to lean on it, bringing him level with her.

  “Are you going to ride in that skirt?” Dana glanced down, her thighs exposed from the edge of the short skirt. Well, she decided, at least he was looking, even if he wasn’t touching her.

  “If it will make you crazy, yes!”

  “I’ll saddle the horses while you change.”

  He was shifting the vehicle into reverse when he hesitated. Dana realized he was preoccupied and turned to see Linda was watching from across the parking lot, her car parked directly behind them. It left her with an odd feeling as they drove toward home. How long had she been watching them, she wondered? Clay became quiet during the ride, his fingers clutching the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were turning white.

  “Clay, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Clay?”

  “I don’t like the way Linda treats you.”

  “She’s a jealous female. I assume she figures I’ve taken over her territory.”

  “I was never in her reach.”

  “She wouldn’t like to hear that. Actually, I get the impression that my coming home had interfered with her overall plan.” Dana was teasing, but her words held a blatant truth.

  “Damn her plan. I’m only interested in yours.” He gave her a quick smile then straightened to watch the road.

/>   “In that case, I’ll change out of this skirt. No sense chafing my thighs on old William, when I’d rather…” Dana didn’t just blush, she felt her entire face and neck go red-hot with embarrassment.

  Clay started to laugh, catching a glimpse of her. “God, Dana, someday.” He pushed the car into a higher gear as they left the town limit. Reveling in the idea that Clay was beginning to look at her in a different light, she began to harbor a hope of them together after all. Maybe her secrets would be safe with Clay. It was a calculated risk, one she was beginning to accept as a possibility.

  It struck her at that second that Clay might have an unusual sexual preference. How stupid of her not to think that side through! All of a sudden things were blurry again. She’d been so concerned about her fetish side she never wondered about his. Dana sat back in the leather seat and watched the world go by as she wondered about Clay. He was a well-traveled man, not some country bumpkin with no experience. What would it be, she wondered? She knew he often wore his riding leathers when on the motorcycle. Maybe he had a leather fetish, too. She had to make a concerted effort not to ask him outright. Life was looking up, even if Linda Cole annoyed her.

  By the time they reached Britton Farm, they met Lisa and Jeff just mounting their horses. “How was breakfast?” Lisa asked.

  “Fine,” Dana answered, not wanting to mention Linda again.

  “You guys heading out or in?”

  “We’re just going for a ride. Adam is sleeping and Ruth offered to keep a check on him.” Dana watched her sister-in-law look at her, then to Clay, and back to her. “Want us to wait while you saddle up?”

  “You guys go ahead,” Clay said, breaking in. “By the time Dana changes and we get saddled, you’ll be heading back.”

  “See ya,” Jeff said, nudging his horse toward the north. “I want to check out the corn over there, not much rain lately.”